For years Oracle has been known as extremely powerful DBMS suitable for any scale of corporate data warehousing. However, high price of its licenses forces many organizations to shift their databases to less expensive or ideally free systems. Migrating from Oracle to MySQL can offer numerous benefits, including lower cost of ownership, access to an open-source database engine, and a large community of MySQL professionals. It is important to consider the complexity and scale of the database being constructed, as Oracle may still be the better option for large enterprises requiring advanced features and tools.

One of the most significant differences between Oracle and MySQL is the cost of ownership. Oracle can be quite expensive, while MySQL is an open-source database engine available for free. This means that companies can save a significant amount of money by switching to MySQL. Additionally, MySQL offers tight integration with web technologies, such as PHP, making it an attractive choice for web developers.

Another benefit of using MySQL is the large community of MySQL database professionals. Because MySQL is an open-source database engine, there is a wide circle of professionals who are familiar with the technology and can provide support when needed. This is not always the case with Oracle, which can be more difficult to find skilled professionals to provide support.

However, it is important to note that if someone is constructing a complex and large-scale corporate database, Oracle may still be the better option. This is because Oracle provides the ultimate range of features and tools for this purpose, making it the preferred choice for large enterprises that require a high degree of functionality and flexibility.

The process of migrating database from Oracle or its DBaaS variations such as Amazon RDS to MySQL involves several steps. First, the Oracle table definitions are exported into “CREATE TABLE” statements, which are then made compatible with MySQL format and loaded into the MySQL database. Next, the Oracle data is exported into CSV files, which are then modified according to the target format and imported into the MySQL database.

Oracle indexes and constraints are extracted in the form of CREATE statements. These statements are then converted according to MySQL syntax and imported into the target database. Additionally, because MySQL does not support sequences, Oracle sequences must be emulated in the destination database according to a specific guide.

Finally, Oracle views, triggers, stored procedures, and functions are exported into SQL statements and plain text source code. These statements and code are then transformed according to MySQL syntax and loaded into the target database.

While this process can be done manually, it can be time-consuming and error-prone. To avoid issues such as data loss or corruption, it is advisable to use special software tools that automate Oracle to MySQL database migration. One such solution is the Oracle to MySQL converter offered by Intelligent Converters, a company that has been focused on database migration and synchronization for more than 20 years.

In conclusion, migrating from Oracle to MySQL can offer numerous benefits, including lower cost of ownership and access to an open-source database engine. However, it is important to consider the complexity and scale of the database being constructed, as Oracle may still be the better option for large enterprises requiring advanced features and tools. Additionally, it is advisable to use special software tools to automate the migration process and avoid issues such as data loss or corruption.